June 2008

The price is definitely not right, but a thorough investigation into the cost of games in Australia and overseas has earned James "DexX" Dominguez a PlayStation 3 console.

James is this month's winner for his comprehensive examination of game prices, which offered hard data that Australians are indeed getting a raw deal when it comes to game software. It's obviously a topic James is passionate about, as he's even update the figures since the article was published.

DexX has been one of the most prolific contributors to Screen Play's new user-generated blog initiative, covering topics as diverse as video game enemies, famous gaming catchphrases, procedural content, emotional engagement in games and movie licensed games.

Congratulations again to James, and remember that you have another chance to win a PS3 console courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment by submitting an article to screenplayblog@gmail.com. Submissions can explore any gaming-related subject close to your heart.

Been holding out on jumping into the next-generation because of high console prices?

Kmart's latest toy catalogue which lobbed in Screen Play's mailbox yesterday has the Xbox 360 Pro (don't even think about buying the Arcade model without a hard drive) for the lowest price yet seen in Australia.

The machine is advertised at $449, on sale from July 3, a big saving on the current RRP of $579.

There has been speculation overseas of a Xbox 360 price cut to coincide with E3 in a few weeks, perhaps Kmart has jumped the gun?

While the studio might not be a household name, Screen Play is sure that many spouses and partners around the world would like to curse Bethesda Softworks' name.

As one of the world's best developers specialising in role playing games, Bethesda has been churning out wonderfully engrossing adventures for over a decade, including the magnificent Elder Scrolls chapters Morrowind and Oblivion.

But even with such a strong pedigree in producing captivating adventures, many fans of the decade-old Fallout and Fallout 2 games have been critical or apprehensive about Bethesda's upcoming third chapter in the series, due towards the end of the year for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Fortunately, Pete Hines, Bethesda's Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing, says the Fallout 3 development team are also huge fans of the revered series (which is why they acquired the Fallout license in the first place) and want the new game to be as special as the players do.

At Screen Play's recent appearance at ACMI with internet celebrity Yahtzee Croshaw, it was interesting that many of his most vocal, fervent fans seemed to be exactly the kind of fanboys he regularly skewers with his forked tongue.

I liken the strange (S&M-style) relationship to that of radio shock jocks and their callers, who often seem to ring in with an alternate view to their on-air hero so that they can be verbally whipped.

Similarly, it's a sad fact that interactive gaming does often seem to have an image problem largely caused by many of its most passionate devotees.

Today Aaron Hobbs, a 22-year-old journalism student and avid gamer who was last seen in Screen Play talking about game-to-film conversions, takes another turn to suggest that the biggest problem in gaming today is gamers themselves.

Many Star Wars and role playing fans were mightily disappointed by Knights of the Old Republic 2 when it was released in 2004, particularly with the game's weak ending and many glitches.

Thumbing through the latest edition of Edge magazine earlier this week, I noticed an extraordinary comment from Obsidian's lead designer Chris Avellone regarding the game in a feature on their new project called Alpha Protocol.

"I'll probably be found dead a week later for saying this," Avellone tells Edge, "but I felt that KOTOR2 was perhaps a C+ because it wasn't finished. That's my fault. It was an ambitious project but that doesn't excuse the fact that you should work within the resources that you have."

The refreshingly candid admission reminded me of Atari's tardy (but still very welcome) apology for releasing Driver 3 in an unfinished state, and made me wish that other developers and publishers might follow suit.

Today I'm keen to hear your nominations for overdue apologies, and have listed some of my own below...

Interactive games are now one of Australia's favourite sources of entertainment, with consumers splashing out over $1.3 billion last year on gaming software and consoles - up a staggering 43 per cent from 2006. But much of the industry's growth is not from traditional video games devotees, but rather new audiences like older Australians and women.

"The most remarkable consequence of the current generation of game consoles and the games that people are playing on them is that finally, a wider cross-section of Australians understand the potential for games to contribute positively to our society," says industry researcher and Bond University Associate Professor Jeff Brand. "Computer and video games are social, they are for all ages and they have shaken off the suspicious stereotypes that surrounded the medium a decade ago."

Today I'm keen to hear what games you think have made the biggest impact in helping to radically change the demographics of the gaming market, and whether you agree with Dr Brand that the "suspicious stereotypes" surrounding gaming have been shaken off forever.

Marty Whitehead, the proud owner of a new shiny new PlayStation 3 courtesy of his epic "Time to kill" blog, is no doubt now even more jealous of all those young whippersnappers who have a lot more time to play video games than he does.

But the doting father and mainframe applications manager from Melbourne might just have himself to blame.

In his latest Your Turn entry, Marty reveals himself to be something of an obsessive compulsive-style of gamer, the type of player who likes to take his time and suck every tiny piece of marrow out of the games he plays rather than charge full-throttle towards the closing credits screen.

Click below for his blog, and let me know what type of game player that you are.

Sony investors would not have enjoyed reading the company's fiscal 2008 report, which revealed US$2.16 billion was lost on PlayStation 3 in 2007 and another US$1.16 billion so far in 2008.

Gamedaily reports that Sony warned investors that "the large-scale investment required during the development and introductory period of a new gaming platform may not be fully recovered."

Despite improved recent PS3 sales around the world, including Australia, and lower hardware production costs, Sony reported that it had to invest huge sums for PS3 research and development and that it is possible this money might not be recouped if the console "fail(s) to achieve such favorable market penetration... resulting in a significant negative impact on Sony's profitability."

Given Sony's predicament, the huge success of Nintendo's more technologically conservative Wii, and Microsoft's ongoing struggle to make the Xbox business profitable, it seems difficult to imagine that Microsoft and Sony will be game to release another next-generation console that is as costly and technologically advanced as the PS3 and Xbox 360 were on their debut.

What do you think Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will offer gamers in the next-generation?

Anyone who has played the critically acclaimed MotoGP series on Xbox or Xbox 360 will know and respect that Black Rock Studio (formerly Climax Racing) can produce astonishingly realistic racing simulations.

But for their first title since being acquired by Disney Interactive, Black Rock has thrown off the shackles of realism and want to thrill the widest possible audience with the upcoming PS3, PC and Xbox 360 off-road racer called Pure.

The game, due September, offers arcade-style, high-speed knockabout fun on quad bikes, with gorgeous environments and an emphasis on outrageous tricks that can be linked together like a skateboarding game.

Screen Play yesterday caught up with Jon Gibson, Black Rock's veteran Game Director with 15 years industry experience, to talk about why gamers should be excited about Pure.

Goldie Marketing, an Australian company enjoying worldwide success with its fantastic Nintendo figurines, is organising an art exhibition based on Nintendo's much-loved characters.

Game enthusiasts, developers and artists can submit artwork for the Out of Controller exhibition to be held in Melbourne in September, with the best entry winning $2000 cash and a Wii prize package.

Budding games designers can also win $500 plus the opportunity to pitch a game idea to Nintendo of Australia.

Goldie's Jason Wang says the project aims to encourage artists to imagine what Nintendo characters would be in various everyday situations when they are not being controlled within games. "We hope to see some great entries from young professionals who have loved playing Nintendo games since the 80's," he says.

Screen Play has been invited to participate as one of the judges, with entries closing on August 15. Visit www.outofcontroller.com.au for more information.

Video games are routinely used as a scapegoat for society's ills by lazy columnists and current affair programs, but over the years there have been many scandals to rock the gaming world.

Concerns over excessive violence or sex has frequently got games into the headlines, with the likes of Manhunt, Postal, Carmageddon, BMX XXX and Mortal Kombat the subjects of much scorn.

Very early in my game reviewing career, my (now absolutely embarrassingly inane) newspaper review of Doom was quoted in NSW parliament as support for why the classification regime of the day should be tightened.

And who could forget the revelation that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas had a hidden "Hot Coffee" mini-game hidden in the code that was unlocked by a crafty programmer, forcing Rockstar to (eventually) pull the game from retail shelves around the world.

Today I've listed some of the biggest controversies in the 30-year history of video games, and am keen to hear your nominations below.

Atari's Alone in the Dark, released in Australia this week for PC, PS2 and Xbox 360, not only features TV-style episodic chapters but lets players skip anything that is proving a roadblock.

It's a fascinating response to the problem that most gamers simply do not finish the games they buy, putting the blame squarely upon challenges that become too difficult or frustrating to bother persevering with.

We all love a challenge, and finally beating a formidable foe is one of gaming's most satisfying and rewarding feelings.

But there are few players who have not experienced the frustration of a rock-hard boss, a checkpoint that cannot be passed, a mission too lengthy and tedious to complete, or an opponent that cannot be felled. Xbox 360 owners currently struggling with Ninja Gaiden II can probably immediately sympathise.

At the very least, all games should let players adjust the difficulty level on the fly without having to restart from the beginning, but today I'm interested to hear whether you think Eden Games' novel solution is a step in the right direction.

In Screen Play's very first post, I wanted to give outsiders some indication of why the blog was created.

I wanted to share how games were a powerful art form captivating the world, with the potential to stir people's emotions and provide unique experiences exclusive to the interactive realm.

I wanted to give a few examples of why video games mean so much to so many people.

Sadly, I didn't get a single comment. But since those very humble beginnings, Screen Play has attracted a passionate community who regularly share their personal experiences of what gaming means to them, including today's Your Turn columnist, dylillama, a frustrated public servant and musician in his mid-twenties who has with a love for games dating back to Dark Castle on the Mac Plus.

Gaming has made giant strides in recent times in terms of cultural acceptance.

For instance, this blog has been running for over two years on Australia's most popular general news sites. Other examples include the popularity (and mere existence) of the Game On exhibition at ACMI, and the increasingly diverse audience for games thanks to the likes of SingStar, Brain Training and Wii Sports.

We've even had recent studies suggesting that hardcore gamers are learning essential skills for success in tomorrow's workplaces, with games honing skills related to collaboration, self-organization, risk taking, openness, influence, and communications - skills that typically are not taught in universities or workplace training programs.

But a poster to Edge's online forum recently asked an interesting question that might perhaps be the ultimate test of gaming's social acceptance - would you put video games as a hobby on your Curriculum Vitae or resume?

There's a chance identifying yourself as a gamer might win you kudos with an employer who is a closet Grand Theft Auto fan, but there's probably just as much chance the boss is a keen tabloid reader and might suspect you're addicted to World of Warcraft or at any moment could snap and begin a violent rampage.

As yesterday's feature in The Age confirmed, Australians love SingStar, with over a million copies of the series sold.

The delightful Paulina Bozek recently told Screen Play that she thinks it is likely SingStar might one day unearth new talent thanks to the ability to share performances online, but it seems Sony Australia can't wait.

Sony is offering wannabe local stars the chance to win $10,000 by uploading their most passionate performances online.

The 10 best entries as judged by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O, will be flown to Sydney to have their performance filmed for MTV.

In other competition news, Atari is using Facebook to try to spread the word about next week's Alone in the Dark, with gamers who can create large group of friends able to win prizes like Xbox 360 and Wii consoles.

Many thanks to all those who have already generously donated their hard-earned in order to keep me from food and video games for 40 hours.

But regular Screen Play reader "Starr" has to endure a much longer sentence away from the delights of interactive entertainment following some alcohol-fuelled misadventure.

The 30-year-old public servant, who says he has been playing video games since the Atari 2600 version of The Empire Strikes Back, makes his Your Turn debut today to mourn his loss and ask for advice in how to cope.

Games typically either receive universal acclaim or widespread antipathy, but like its predecessors, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will sharply divide gaming fans and critics.

It's certainly an appropriate swansong for Snake. Metal Gear has always been a series that you either adore or loathe: a bombastic, overwrought military soap opera in which players spend just as much time watching events unfold as they do directing the action. Some video sequences in Patriots are an hour long.

But even the most ardent, vocal critics of auteur Hideo Kojima cannot deny the outstanding quality of Metal Gear 4's presentation, nor the creativity involved.

There is also countless clever ideas, wonderful surprises and genuine thrills crammed into the package, along with plenty of giggles and even genuine pathos that could bring a tear to the eye.

Electronic Arts has released the free trial version of the Spore Creature Creator for both Windows and Macintosh PCs.

Spore, created by Will Wright's team at Maxis, is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year and is currently slated for a September release after suffering many delays.

Wildly creative, innovative and often amusing, Spore is an evolution simulator breathtaking in both detail and scale. Players progress from creating individual creatures, to assisting a small tribe, then constructing cities and civilizations, to finally to exploring and colonising space.

The Creature Creator is great fun to tinker with, and is astonishingly flexible yet easy-to-use. You can download it from here.

By almost any measure, Grand Theft Auto IV has been an astonishing success.

It raked in $500 million in its first week on sale, making it the biggest entertainment product launch ever, and has now sold over 8.5 million copies worldwide.

But Sony and Microsoft must be disappointed. Gaming's biggest franchise has not helped change the tide in the console war, with Nintendo continuing to dominate.

In Australia, Grand Theft Auto IV was knocked off its perch at the top of Australian charts by Nintendo's exercise novelty Wii Fit, which stayed there for three weeks, selling over 85,000 copies. Last week, another hugely popular Wii game, Mario Kart, returned to the number one position.

For most of this year, Australians have been snapping up Wii consoles at a weekly rate that is three or four times higher than PS3 or Xbox 360. Just as astonishingly, it is only now, 18 months after launch, that Nintendo is finally getting some surplus Wii hardware stock on retail shelves.

Last year Screen Play began campaigning for a "fair go" in regards to game pricing in this country.

When gamers can routinely import games at significantly cheaper prices across all formats, there is something seriously wrong.

Unfortunately, the campaign failed, with most Australian game distributors refusing to even answer straightforward questions on the important issue. It's not good enough.

But while games distributors continue to bury their heads in the sand or blame higher taxes and business costs for our higher prices, more and more Australian consumers are turning their back on the local market and importing, which costs Australian jobs.

Today, James "DexX" Dominguez presents a comprehensive report on game pricing, comparing the price of leading games at Australian retail outlets compared to online stores both locally and overseas.

It's a fascinating piece that is essential reading for every Australian gamer.

Successful Australian animation and visual effects studio Animal Logic last week announced plans to expand into interactive game development, but the Games Development Association of Australia was disappointed to discover the new studio would be based in Los Angeles.

Animal Logic's announcement came just the day before the Games Development Association of Australia reiterated its (five year) call for the Australian government to offer tax incentives to help grow the local interactive entertainment industry.

The GDAA estimate extending the 40 per cent rebate currently enjoyed by local film producers to the games industry would lead to an additional $25 million in investment each year and help the industry "triple in size within a few years".

Animal Logic Chief Executive Officer Zareh Nalbandian supports the GDAA's campaign and says government assistance for game development similar to film will be a crucial factor in whether Animal Logic chooses to develop their games locally.

In the recent heated debate over the merits of an R18+ rating for games in Australia, one of the most common complaints recorded by visitors to Screen Play was that gamers were "selfish", "immature" and "irresponsible", putting their demands above the protection of children.

Screen Play has outlined why I believe an R rating would help protect children more than our current regime, but as promised, I also want to raise money for a children's charity as an example of how gamers have a social conscience.

I've signed up for World Vision's 40 Hour Famine, and will starve myself of video games for 40 hours as well as food.

Funds raised in this year's 40 Hour Famine will not only help World Vision fight poverty and assist those suffering from natural disasters around the world, but there is a special focus on helping children in India win basic human rights, freeing them from child labour, trafficking and slavery.

If just one in every 10 gamers who have voted "yes" in support of an R18+ classification in our poll donated just $10, we could raise over $8000. I'm sure I can convince some of Australia's games distributors to make a healthy donation to the cause, too.

Click here to donate via credit card, and make sure you use the donor number 670982388. I'll feature regular updates on the running total and give plugs to any significant donors as we lead up to August.

Censorship ministers in March agreed to canvas public opinion on the proposed introduction of an R18+ classification for games, but are still working on the mechanisms to let Australians have their say.

A spokesperson for Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls, who supports the introduction of an R18+ classification, says a discussion paper is currently being prepared, but there is "no timetable yet for consultation".

The spokesperson says that when the process is underway, the public will be able to comment about the proposal via each jurisdiction's website.

Ron Curry, CEO of the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia, believes that the public consultation process "will ensure that the Classification Act better reflects contemporary community standards and attitudes".

In my Livewire feature today, I try to champion some games that are unlikely to be recommended by sales assistants as punters walk around the shelves of their local K-Mart or EB Games.

As I've written many times before, one of the best aspects of digital distribution is that it can help developers find an audience for original or quirky games that would struggle to find retail shelf space. Lost Winds on Wii Ware is a perfect recent example.

But while it's natural that retail is only interested in big-budget blockbusters and known franchises with a history of strong sales, is it right that most reviewers are too? It's a question that MTV's Stephen Totilo asked recently: is it a problem that games like Peggle are all but ignored by review sites?

Peggle has been downloaded 10 million times, so the snub from the likes of IGN and Gamespot could hardly have had much impact on potential sales, but PopCap's ball-bouncing beauty is hardly representative of the indie scene, in which most games struggle for attention and developers have little marketing resources to help ply their wares.

New research revealing detailed demographic data about Australian video game players is to be conducted later this month.

The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia has commissioned Dr Jeffrey Brand, Associate Professor at the Bond University Centre for New Media Research and Education and author of several studies on gamer demographics, to produce a third report on the Australian gaming landscape following comprehensive surveys in 2005 and 2006.

Nielsen Media Research will conduct the survey with thousands of Australians, probing them with questions like how often they play games, what types of games they play, why they play, and their opinions on issues like violence and the introduction of an R18+ rating.

Dr Brand believes the research will demonstrate that the average age of gamers in Australia is now around 33 - up from 28 just two years ago.

There was an interesting feature on the importance of a film's name to its success in The Sunday Age on the weekend, which prompted Screen Play to ponder whether some of the games that regularly feature in "unappreciated gems" lists were actually just badly titled.

Take a look at this list of recent games that did not sell as well as they deserved: Ico, Psychonauts, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, Patapon, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure, and Beyond Good and Evil.

Certainly many of them have unusual names, but do you think a more easily marketable name would have helped their chances of success? And can you nominate better alternatives?

Like many other Screen Play readers, Simon Tham has been playing video games ever since he can remember.

Now 29 and a business analyst based in Melbourne, Simon still regularly plays games but says there is an extra special place in his heart for the pioneering games that first kick-started his life-long love affair.

When not working or playing, Simon also spends his time trying to get his "graphic design aspirations off the ground", making submissions to the various T-shirt competition sites on the internet, such as Threadless.com.

Sony Computer Entertainment's former head of worldwide development, Phil Harrison, expressed frustration in one of his last public appearances before leaving the company that Sony's Japanese executives were too slow at accepting the idea of social gaming, only to see Nintendo take the baton and run with it.

This was despite the fact that in Australia alone, Sony has sold over 490,000 EyeToy digital cameras since 2003, proving there was an appetite for radical control schemes and uncomplicated, inclusive family fun.

Like the Wii, the EyeToy digital camera games let users physically interact with the on-screen action, were a social experience primarily designed for short bursts of fun with all the family, and no joypad skills were required.

Mike Haigh, Director of Sony's London Studio which developed EyeToy and SingStar, says Wii's rampant success does "hurt", but he believes PlayStation consoles cater to an even wider audience than Wii, pleasing both the hardcore and the new "casual" audience.

"Yeah, it hurts to see something that we've developed in EyeToy sort of being taken to the next level with Wii, but we are constrained somewhat in that we are not just an 'alternative control' company, we're looking at everything," Mr Haigh says.

Organisers of next month's Gen Con Australia at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre claim the event is the biggest ever interactive game-playing convention to be held in the country.

The event, which runs from July 3 to 6, includes a 200-player tournament for computer games such as Counter-Strike, Call of Duty 4, Starcraft and Warcraft 3, plus tournaments for miniature war games, card games, board games, role playing, cos-play and more.

It will also feature lectures and seminars on games development, with developers such as The Creative Assembly, Pandemic, Fuzzy Eyes, Krome and Halfbrick participating alongside institutions such as QANTUM and Griffith University.

At the show, THQ will present some of their upcoming games, while local developer Pandemic will demonstrate Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and Lord of the Rings Conquest.

I trust everyone is enjoying their holiday Monday, but just in case you're looking for something to do next weekend, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne is presenting a Machinima Film Festival as part of the Game On exhibition.

A convergence of animation, computer game technology and filmmaking, machinima films are created within the "virtual reality" of game engines.

Machinima makers can create animated films in real-time for a fraction of the cost of traditional computer generated imagery seen in multi-million dollar studio films.

The weekend's events include screenings of the latest season of Red vs. Blue, highlights from the European Machinima Film Festival, and workshops and panel sessions with talent including Armando Troisi, the Lead Cinematic Designer at BioWare, Chris Burke, the creator of This Spartan Life and Burnie Burns, the creator of Red vs Blue.

At any games development seminar around the world today, the most common subject discussed by games creators is how to build "original IP" and keep ownership of your precious franchise.

Unfortunately, the reality is that if developers want funding to develop their killer idea into a reality, usually they have to sign over the rights to their "Intellectual Property" to the publisher forever.

If the game is a success, what so often happens next is that the publisher then hands the franchise to other (cheaper) studios to knock-off increasingly bad sequels ad infinitum on every platform known to man, and the original developer can only weep at all the money they should have made and how their cherished baby has been turned into a monster.

Today Paul Frew takes his turn to discuss the trend of game franchises being shipped around between developers.

While most of us routinely admire the creativity and imagination of the world's best game developers as we enjoy their handiwork, too often designers can rely on tired cliches.

The weapon crate and the exploding barrel would have to be two of the most over-used gaming staples, and some other chestnuts include the reluctant hero (often also with amnesia), block-pushing puzzles, ice and lava worlds, boss fights, bullet time, enemies that drop keys upon their death, invisible walls, pointless collection errands, magical medikits that instantly restore health, and role-playing adventures that start with the protagonist waking up.

Of course, there are also many cliches about gaming itself, many of which bare little semblance to the truth. One of my favourites is that television shows will always feature video game players convulsing manically while clutching a massive flight-simulator style joystick, and the dubbed sound effects will invariably be from Pac-Man and Space Invaders.

When you're thinking video game enemies, it's hard not to instantly think of zombies, aliens or Nazis.

But today, prolific Screen Play contributor James "DexX" Dominguez describes some of his favourite video game adversaries from the history of interactive entertainment, and why they got under his skin.

DexX is also keen to hear your favourite, or most hated, bad guys. (But I hope no-one nominates the colossi from Shadow of the Colossus, I still feel awful about bringing those noble monsters down.)

Click below for the piece, which is in the running to win a PS3 console...

Leaders from the Australian games development community assembled at Melbourne's Docklands yesterday for a new event to discuss strategies for industry growth.

Organiser Tony Reed, a veteran in the Australian games development community, says he established the Framework talkfest to encourage growth, "ongoing workflow" and "the creation of original content".

While the Australian game development industry continues to grow rapidly and has a well-earned reputation for delivering quality games at reasonable cost, Mr Reed says he is concerned that there is an impression that the local industry is falling behind other regions of the world.

As well as speakers from games developers like Pandemic and institutions like Bond University, Framework had speakers with a strong film background, which Mr Reed says is a recognition that the Australian film industry is more mature than the games sector, and can share valuable experience as well as join forces to secure innovative projects.

As part of a week-long series examining some of the deficiencies of games reviews, MTV's Stephen Totilo last week put together a "Game Reviewer's Bill of Rights".

The rough draft of ideas that would improve the standard of game reviews included providing reviewers with a final boxed copy of the game at least a week prior to writing the review, always allowing access to online modes, and ensuring that publishers and developers are not present during the review process.

In their rush to be the first online or on the newsstands with a review, publications are currently breaking these basic tenets regularly. For example, early reviews of Grand Theft Auto IV were conducted under Rockstar supervision, while recent review copies of Ninja Gaiden II came with disclaimers that the game was not yet fully optimised, which leaves the reviewer guessing on the quality of the final product.

It's unfortunate that there is any need for discussion on the quality of game reviews, let alone a call for a "bill of rights", but revelations like the ridiculous restrictions that Konami imposed on some reviewers of Metal Gear Solid 4 suggest that consumers are still entitled to treat everything they read with suspicion.

Rock Band, the highly anticipated music game that promised to dominate the charts and revolutionise the music business, looks to have lost any chance of significant success in Australia.

Despite launching in November last year in the US, and speculation of a sequel for North America early next year, there is still no Australian release date on the horizon.

While the Xbox 360 version of the game has just been released in Europe, local sources suggest Rock Band might not be released in Australia this year at all.

Rock Band was developed by Guitar Hero creators Harmonix and lets four players jam together in a band using guitar, drums and microphone peripherals, but publisher MTV Games and distributor Electronic Arts have been unable to manufacture enough hardware to meet global demand.

It was a challenge that Red Octane co-founder Charles Huang forecast ahead of Rock Band's launch based on his company's early experience with Guitar Hero, which prompted the up-and-coming publisher to join forces with Activision.

Your huge Xbox 360 achievement point total might get you kudos in some circles, although it's unlikely to impress many potential suitors if you casually drop the number into conversation at your local bar.

Even among hardcore gamers, your total might not garner the reaction you expect. After all, does a huge number reveal your skill as a gamer or just how many hours you have spent with a joypad in your hand?

Today Dark Wolfe takes his turn to explore whether the introduction of achievement points has had a positive or negative impact on the gaming community.

Click below for his piece, and let the rest of the Screen Play community know what you think...

Many long-time Nintendo fans over the years have been frustrated by the Japanese company's reluctance to regularly communicate with its customers, but Rose Lappin's straight-talking interview with Screen Play last week suggests a willingness to change its reclusive image.

Nintendo Australia's Managing Director even got back to Screen Play last week after we had published the interview, keen to respond to some of the questions that readers had posed, which I am pleased to present below.

In keeping with this new spirit of community, Nintendo also launched Wii's new Nintendo Channel on Friday, which features information like Australian DS and Wii release schedules for the next month, and video footage such as interviews with Shigeru Miyamoto. Users can also submit basic feedback on all games they have played, and download DS game demos.

Nintendo is also conducting another "Connection Tour" of Westfield shopping centres nationally starting June 28 where players can try games like Super Smash Bros Brawl, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness and Guitar Hero on Tour.

As Haze recently demonstrated, the modern shoot-'em-up genre is so crowded and high-quality that any new entrant has to really excel and innovate to stand out.

Fracture, due later in the year for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 from LucasArts, certainly has a difficult task ahead. But its "terrain deformation" technology could be the gimmick that makes the game worth playing, letting players raise and lower the ground to create cover or get height on opponents.

Players battle against 10 different genetically enhanced enemies with various strengths and weaknesses, so you have to vary tactics and make full use of your unusual arsenal. There are also puzzles related to the terrain deformation, such as raising rock pillars to support a broken walkway.

At a recent LucasArts event, Screen Play spoke with Shara Miller, the game's executive producer, for the interview below.

Video games are the new pop. Australians now spend more money on shooters and sims than hip hop and punk rock. Debate the latest news and trends in interactive entertainment with award-winning games writer Jason Hill.

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